Meant for Me (A Second Chance standalone) (26 page)

“Are you supposed to be telling me all of this?” I wondered
out loud. I still didn’t know the guy’s name and here I was talking to him like
everything was normal when obviously the situation was all shades of fucked up.

“That’s part of my job, Mason. I’m the one who picks up the
fighters and explains everything to them so that when I drop you off you’ll
know exactly what’s expected of you. He doesn’t want to waste time on the
semantics once you get there. I’m very perceptive and that’s what Erick likes
about me. I can tell who’s going to flake once they’re in the ring and the ones
who are going to be the moneymakers.”

It was all more in depth than I thought it would be. This
didn’t just involve me and another fighter; it was with a whole goddamned lot
of gamblers voting on the enjoyment of watching two people beat each other to
death. Instead of it being dogs people were gambling on, it was actual people.
Austin’s situation finally began to fall into place. He was one of the ones
they thought would flake and that was why they brought in Summer; to ensure he
didn’t. I was the one who told Erick that Claire was leaving town, and in doing
so I condemned her to this fate. If she was gone, they knew they wouldn’t have
anything for me to fight for.
She’s going to be so angry at me for keeping
this from her.

The time went by quickly and I spent the majority of the
ride thinking about all the vile things that could be happening to Claire. If
anything happened to her I’d never forgive myself.

“All right, we’re here,” the guy announced, “but I do have
to make sure you leave on the blindfold until we get inside. For security
reasons, I can’t let you see where we’re at.”

He got out of the car and opened my door, and once I stepped
outside I could tell we were inside a building from the musty smell of dust and
mold. It felt open almost, and not an enclosed space. I remembered there being
several abandoned warehouses out where Austin’s body had been found and by the
way the air smelled it reminded me of something an old warehouse would smell
like.

“Okay, just a little bit further and then I’ll let you take
off the blindfold before we go down the stairs. The last thing we need is you
falling down them and breaking your neck.”

“Thanks for your concern,” I mumbled sarcastically. “You
know, I don’t even know your name.”

“You can call me Brody for now. It’ll suffice for the time
being.” We took a few more steps and then stopped while Brody punched in a few
numbers on a keypad, or at least that was what it sounded like. When he was
done, I heard a lock unhinge and the sound of a heavy metal door creaking as it
opened.

“Okay, you can take the blindfold off now,” he told me.

When I slid it off my head, I had to blink a few times to
get my eyes adjusted to the surroundings. It was kind of dark, but once I got
used to it I was able to see what was in front of me. I was right about the
heavy metal door, but with it having a security code it’d take Ryan and his
people at least a couple of minutes to crack it. Those valuable minutes could
be the difference between life and death.

Please, God, all I ask is that you let me get Claire out
of this
, I prayed
.

I followed Brody down the steps and the closer we got to the
bottom, the more light that filtered in. When I turned the corner, the hallway
was fairly narrow and reminded me of a stoned passageway leading to the dungeon
below a medieval castle. It even had the sconces blazing with fire lining up
and down the hallway.

“What the hell is this place?”

Brody laughed and started down the hall. “Yeah, I know, it’s
a little over the top, but it’s what Erick wanted. He’s the one who pays the
bills so I guess he can have his place however he wants it.”

Trailing him down the hall, the deeper we went the more
unsettled I became. I had no clue if the trackers would hold up being that far
underground so I had to have faith that they would or at least have faith that
Ryan pin pointed my location before the signal was lost.

Brody turned to me and pointed to a large set of doors. “All
right, I’m going to show you where you’ll be fighting and then I’ll take you to
a room so you can change and warm up if you’d like.”

Replying with a simple nod and silence, I followed him
through the large wooden doors. The moment I stepped through, my eyes went wide
in wonder. “Holy shit,” I mumbled under my breath.

The room reminded me of a dungeon with more lit sconces on
the outer walls. There were throne like seats placed in a circle around the
ring, and to my surprise the ring was the same as the modern ones we used
today. Given the style of the room one would assume everything would be
medieval style. Above, there were stage lights that added a little bit more
light to the room, but they only shone down on the ring, giving it an ominous
glow.

There was one other thing I noticed while I looked up at the
ceiling; there were video cameras everywhere. I counted at least five of them
with their red blinking lights.

“What are the cameras for?” I asked, nodding toward the
ceiling.

Brody glanced up and answered, “Those are for the people who
don’t come to the fights. They just watch it on a live feed when it starts.
Most of them can’t risk being exposed or recognized. Any more questions?”

Yeah, if you have Claire here, where the hell is she?

Instead, I told him, “No, I think I’m good. Let’s get this
going.”

While Brody led me through another hallway with various
doors on either side, I couldn’t help but wonder if Claire was in one of them.
I thought maybe I would get a chance to explore once I changed clothes, but
that hope was squashed when Brody put me in a room and locked the door behind
him. There was no way out.

“All right, my dear, it’s time. The cameras are live and
connected to the respected parties. So here’s how it’s going to go. First, I’m
going to have the guys come out, talk to them for a few minutes and then it’ll
be your turn. You’ll walk in with Chase, got it?” Erick explained hurriedly.

“Yeah,” I mumbled in reply.

Erick dashed off quickly, but I watched his every move on
the cameras in front of me. There had to be about fifteen of them in the
control room I was in. I was brought early to the underground dungeon, or at
least that was how I referred to it as, but while I was waiting around Erick
directed me to the control room. I watched as both Mason and Wade arrived and
went to their separate rooms.

Wade wasn’t locked in his room like Mason was. After Mason
changed into his shorts with the eagle on the side, he taped up his hands and
put on his gloves. His movements were strong and precise when he warmed up, but
the expression on his face was as cold as ice. He was angry, ready to kill, and
what scared me most was that I knew he would kill just to save me.

Wade, on the other hand, had a smug expression on his face
as he warmed up. It made me want to smack it off his face. He wore a pair of
royal blue fighting shorts with a red dragon emblem on the left leg. His dark
hair wasn’t gelled like it was the past couple of times I’d seen him and it was
the first time I’d seen his bare skin since being in town. His perfectly tanned
skin had been marred by a large dragon tattoo that covered the whole expanse of
his back. I didn’t like it because it was the same dragon tattoo Erick had on
his neck.

What got me the most was that judging by his appearance he
didn’t appear to be unhinged by the whole fighting to the death thing. It made
me wonder how many of the deceased fighters he was responsible for killing. I
understood the concept of accidents in the sport since it was a very dangerous
game, but what Erick was doing were not accidents. It was straight up murder.

Erick went to Wade’s room and fetched him before going to
Mason’s. Once Wade got into the main room with the ring, he jumped up in the cage
and arrogantly strolled around it. It just confirmed that he had done this
before. No wonder he had the money to pay for his expensive house. It was blood
money.

On another camera, Erick escorted Mason down the long, stone
hallway until the double wooden doors came into view. Once he pushed through
them, I had to look at another camera to watch him go in. Wade was all smiles,
and honestly, I couldn’t wait to see that smile disappear. Mason was ready for
this; I could see it in his gaze. He was always ready for a fight. Confidently,
he climbed up the steps and entered into the ring, followed by Erick.

Words were said, but I couldn’t hear them so I searched
around the control board for a volume button and slowly turned it up so I could
listen.

“It was so nice of you to come, Mason,” Wade sneered. “I
figured you’d be one of the flakes.”

Mason’s lip tilted up slightly. “Sorry to disappoint you,
but I don’t ever run away from a fight if it’s for something I want.”

Wade’s gaze hardened when he replied, “Neither do I.”

Erick stepped between them and held up his hands for them to
be quiet. He then strutted to the middle of the ring and turned in a full
circle so he could acknowledge every single camera.

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. As you all know, tonight
is going to be a fight of wills, to see who can outlast the other and survive.
For five rounds they must fight until the allotted time is through, which means
no matter what condition they are in, they have to fight.”

He turned to Wade and Mason and said, “What I mean by that
is if you’re knocked out on the mat the fight doesn’t end. You keep hitting
until that buzzer stops. Do you understand?”

Wade nodded with an evil leer on his face while Mason stood
there, perfectly still, with a murderous look on his face. “I understand,” he
growled low.

Erick turned back around and walked back and forth on the
mat while he finished his speech with the biggest grin on his face, “Tonight,
however, is going to be a little different. Not only are these fighters
competing for the extravagant amount of money you brought to the table, but
they will also be competing for something else.”

Holding my breath, I couldn’t take my eyes away from the
video, especially from Mason when Erick revealed the final prize. “That
something else is something both of these men treasure. I’d like to show what
I’m talking about.”

That was my cue.

Chase was there, excitement written all over his face, as
soon as I walked out the door. Wrapping his hand around my arm he pulled me the
rest of the way and stopped just outside of the large, wooden doors. “It’s
showtime, baby. I can’t wait to see the looks on Wade and Mason’s faces.”

Yeah, me too.

Chase pushed open the doors, and immediately Mason’s head
snapped in my direction. Clenching his jaw, he closed his eyes and lowered his
head, his voice going darkly low. “Why is she here, Erick?” Mason demanded
furiously.

Erick chuckled. “I would ask your opponent. He’s the one who
came up with the idea, but don’t be too sore on him, Claire was the one who agreed
to the terms. The terms are as follows: whoever wins this fight will leave with
the young woman. She will belong to you for the night and you two can do as you
wish.”

Erick focused back on the cameras and extended a hand out
toward Wade’s side of the ring and then to Mason’s. “Ladies and gentlemen, on
one side we have the past and on the other we have the present. Both have loved
her and both still do. Which one will be her future? I guess we will see.”

I thought I’d be able to stay strong and defiant standing
there, but my resolve slowly depleted. My eyes burned, chin trembling, as I
watched Mason try to keep it together by a mere thread. With his gaze focused
solely on me, he ignored everything else, including Chase, and marched to the
edge of the ring so he could peer down at me.

“Are you okay?” he asked in a low voice.

“Of course she is,” Chase sneered. “She’s been with me all
day.”

Closing his eyes, Mason took a deep breath, his hands
trembling with rage, and let it out slowly before glancing back down at me.
“I’m fine, Mason,” I told him. “I think you know I can take care of myself.”

He didn’t seem convinced with my answer, especially when he
turned his lethal glare to Chase and pointed at him. “When this is all over …
you’re dead. This is the last time you fuck with me.”

Turning on his heel, he stalked back to his side of the
ring, fuming. Erick watched on in amusement and roared in laughter. “Whoa, I
think we might need to up the game here after witnessing that. There’s
obviously some bad blood between these two fighters. Okay, so here’s the new
terms …”

“New terms?” Wade hissed. “There are no new terms.”

With the tension rising in the room, I wasn’t surprised that
a group of four large men sauntered through the doors, and took up posts around
the cage. I would assume they were Erick’s protection if Mason and Wade decided
to attack him.

“Oh yes there is, son,” Erick challenged, grinning
devilishly. “I have to make it a little more interesting, don’t I? So, with
that being said, if you
both
don’t hold up your end of the bargain and
fight as hard as you can then your lovely little Claire will go to someone else
for the night.”

“Who?” Mason and Wade yelled at the same time.

Erick looked down at Chase and he was the one who spoke up.
“Me,” Chase said. “If you two pussy out, your girl belongs to me.”

“Like hell she will,” Wade spat. “I’ll kill you myself
before—”

“Enough!” Erick shouted. “It’s time to get this party
started. After each round, the people watching will be our stand in judges.
They will decide which fighter won the round or if neither of you did. If the
vote is neither, that point goes to Chase. It’s all up to you, gentlemen, on
how you want to decide her future.”

Erick pointed to me and then down to the mat of the ring.
“Claire, if you wouldn’t mind coming up here and saying what could be your last
words to your men. I’m sure they’d both enjoy one last kiss.”

His last request wasn’t a suggestion, it was a demand, and I
could hear it in the tone of his voice. Surprisingly, Chase let me go and I walked
slowly over to the steps that led up to the gate. Hesitantly, I glanced at all
the cameras, swallowing hard as I entered into the cage and pondered on who I
wanted to talk to first. I chose Wade.

Wade averted his gaze from me as I approached him. With the
cameras being all around, I didn’t want the people seeing the anger on my face
nor did I want them to hear me. Sidling up closer to Wade, I grabbed his arms
and put them over my shoulders so my face would be hidden by his muscles.

“Can you not look at me after what you did?” I hissed
quietly.

He bent his head toward my neck to conceal his face in my
hair. “I’m so sorry, Claire. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. I thought once
you saw me achieving something in life that you would think I was good enough
for you. You loved me then, and I know you can again. That’s why tonight you’re
coming home with me.”

“Not like this, Wade. I only accepted the terms because
Erick threatened me. Besides, you can’t fight for a heart that’s already been
won.”

Holding me tighter, he nuzzled his nose in my hair and
kissed my neck. “Watch me,” he growled low. Cupping the back of my head, he
tilted my face toward him and closed his lips over mine. I let him kiss me, but
I didn’t give anything back … I couldn’t. When he pulled away, he sighed and
whispered across my lips, “When this is over, you will kiss me back.”

Looking into his corrupted hazel eyes, I couldn’t even see a
tiny fraction of the old Wade inside them; he was gone. Slowly moving out of
his arms, I wiped the lone tear away from my cheek, whispering, “Good-bye,
Wade.”

Mason wasn’t even looking at me or Wade when I turned around
to make my way over to him. I had so much to say and I knew I only had a small
amount of time. As soon as I got within reach, he pulled me to him, squeezing
me to the point it actually hurt.

“Mason,” I gasped, choking for air.

Immediately, he loosened his hold and grumbled in my ear,
“Sorry, I’m just a little pissed off right now. We need to do this quickly. How
did they get you?”

“At the airport. They threatened to hurt you if I didn’t
come.”

He sighed. “Fuck, I knew I should’ve walked you inside.
Okay, listen baby, Ryan and his team should be here soon. I don’t know when,
but whatever you see and whatever happens I want you to know that everything
will be all right. We’ll get through this.”

I nodded and finally let the tears fall down my cheeks. “I
believe you. Now kick some ass for me so we can go home.”

“It’ll be my pleasure, baby.”

He wiped away my tears with his thumbs before slowly lowering
his lips to mine. I opened myself up to him and kissed him as if it would be my
last one. All too quickly, Erick was by my side, with a warning glare on his
face.

“Gentlemen, when the bell rings, begin.”

Erick ushered me out of the cage and down the steps to our
seats. Mason and Wade got into position, ready to strike, and both were almost
unrecognizable with murderous scowls on their faces.
You can do this, Mason,
I chanted in my mind. All I could hear was the sound of my breathing and
the beating of my heart in my ears; it was deafening. It was so loud I was
afraid I wouldn’t hear the bell; I didn’t want to hear the bell. I didn’t want
it to ring at all.

Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. The bell rang and the
guys went on the attack.

Ryan, please hurry and get here.